Lunar Destiny
by Akane Konae
Summary: Kira knew she was different, but it wasn't until Naraku killed her parents that she realized just how powerful and unique her gifts were. With the help of the dog demon, Sesshoumaru, she must find and defeat the Shephard of the New Moon and fulfill her Lunar Destiny. But first!...she must find the Prince of the Moon. SessOC
1. Chapter 1

Hello, and welcome to the revision of my very first story, _Lunar Destiny_! I originally published this story almost ten years ago. When Inuyasha: The Final Act was released (and I finally watched it), I realized something: that my original storyline did not make sense against the Inuyasha storyline. At all. Also, my writing was completely and utterly atrocious, and I was really embarrassed. So, I decided to start re-writing this story.

For returning readers, thank you for coming back. For newcomers to this story, I hope you enjoy!

DISCLAIMER: I use elements from many stories that I have read over the years. These include: Inuyasha; the Daughters of the Moon series by Lynne Ewing; and...and I think something else. I can't think of it off the top of my head. Either way, I claim no rights to the aforementioned works, as this story is merely a work of fanfiction. Everything else in this story is mine, though.

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_Lunar Destiny_

Chapter 1: Identity

Something was horribly wrong. That much I was sure of.

In the dark of night, my father's guards had intruded into my chambers, waking me from my sleep, though it had been a restless one. The dark circles beneath their eyes, accentuated by the shadows of night and the small lanterns they held, told me that they had not gotten a wink of sleep, either. I doubt anyone in the castle had been sleeping save myself and perhaps the mice hiding beneath my bed. I had found them one afternoon when I was hiding from my father. They were only just born, and their mother was nowhere in sight. They kept me company on days when I was not allowed out of my room, which was most often.

My mother and father did not want me roaming the castle or the grounds outside too often. My mother told me that demons roamed about just outside of the walls and wanted me to be safe. When I was allowed outside, it was specifically approved by my father, and I was always surrounded by at least a dozen of his most trusted soldiers. Despite having so many people around me, I was usually quite lonely, as they never wanted to play. The guards only spoke to me if I wanted to go inside. Children I met while in the village closest to us were never allowed to speak to me, and when I asked if the children could visit the castle and play with me inside, father absolutely refused and grew very angry with me, telling me to learn my place as a lady and a child.

I looked out the windows as we passed down another long hallway towards my father's war chambers. I could not see the moon. Its soothing light always made me feel safe, and on the nights when the moon was gone, I felt vulnerable and weak, as if all strength had left my body. It did not help my feelings of anxiety that grew from glimpsing the equally anxious faces of the guards escorting me through the castle. Most times I would protest at being followed at every hour of the day even inside the castle, but this night, I was grateful for the extra protection. My legs did not feel like they could hold my weight much longer, and if I couldn't continue, one of the soldiers would be able to carry me the rest of the way. I wasn't going to give my father the satisfaction of succumbing to weakness during the time, and willed my legs to hold on for just a while longer.

As my mind shook the fogginess away from my slumber, I became aware of the chill in the air. My skin prickled and my hair stood on end, whether from cold or fear, I wasn't sure. The air felt damp against my skin, and I wondered if it had recently rained. The sky was clear when I last glimpsed outside, so it must have rained soon after I drifted to sleep. I thought about voicing my inquiry to the guards, but I couldn't quite find my voice. I decided it best not to linger too much on the thought. I would need the energy to face whatever my father had summoned me for so late at night.

"Princess, please wait here."

The voice of one of the guards startled me, and I almost fell backward. The other men looked at me nervously, waiting to catch me if I did fall. I found the one who had spoken, and nodded in his direction. Without another thought, he opened the magnificent red oak doors to the war chambers and disappeared into the room. Just as quickly as he had left, however, he returned, and beckoned me inside.

Thankfully, the guards did not follow me inside. Instead they took post outside and locked the door behind me, ensuring I remained whilst my father needed me.

The war chambers are a vast room, full of maps my father had drawn himself hung up neatly on the walls. There was a map of a cave nearby, a map of the lands to the south and east, a full map of the lands to the north, and a partial map of the lands to the west. My father and his army were currently on a mission to complete the map of the western lands, but have met strong opposition from demons that reign heavily there. I don't know much about what is going on except what I overhear from the soldiers when they talk while watching over me. I've gathered that they don't feel I understand much of the language and technical jargon that they use, since I am still young (a fact I am reminded of daily), but my mother has let me into our library on many occasions. I have spent countless hours just scanning over loose-leaf books and scrolls written since ancient times. While I don't know many of the characters they used, I've learned much from what I did know. Of course, this has been kept secret from my father and the guards, as children, especially little girls like me, shouldn't be reading, but my mother and I are a kindred soul, yearning for knowledge and the fantastic. She understands my soul better than anyone.

That isn't to say that I dislike my father. That is far from the truth. He is brave and strong. When he isn't busy being a powerful lord, he plays with me and takes me to beautiful flower gardens around the castle. While he is around, the guards are sent elsewhere, which I am grateful for. He may be over protective, but that is because he is a lord, and has many powerful enemies. I have no doubt that he loves me just as much as my mother does, and would do anything for me. I often dream of my future husband, and every time I picture him, I picture someone very much like my father.

"My daughter," my father's voiced boomed through the room. Once again I was startled backwards and a small squeal escaped my lips. I prayed for this moonless night to be over, so my nerves could stop being so on edge. Or maybe the cause of my hypersensitivity was the overwhelming sense of doom that lurked through the hallways and now especially on my father's face, as he walked into the firelight of the lanterns about us.

"I apologize for frightening you. I understand how much these dark nights affect you," he addressed me quietly, a calm but intense quiet. "It is precisely that reason for which I have summoned you at this late hour." He gestured for me to sit across from him on the floor, which I followed without a word. Full attention and compliance where the only actions I could possibly execute with full control, outside from walking. I did not trust my voice to be heard enough.

A small pause loomed between us before my father looked away from me and out the small window high on the wall. Normally the window let in just enough moonlight that lanterns were not needed to see most nights, except for the new moon. Now, the window revealed a night that seemed much darker than usual, almost pitch black, as if even the stars had gone from the heavens.

Suddenly my father snapped his eyes back towards me, locking his piercing eyes with mine. I squirmed, frightened by his intense gaze. Then almost immediately, he directed his gaze downward, towards my hands, lightly folded in my lap. What was he staring at, exactly? I suddenly grew highly self-conscious of my hands and felt them become cold and clammy. I wanted to hide them between my legs to warm them up, but mostly so my father would stop staring at them—but I sat still, as he taught me to act in his presence.

"Your bracelet. The one your mother and I gave to you when you were born, " he started. My bracelet? That is what he was gazing at so intently? I looked down at my hands. My bracelet was a charm bracelet. Eight charms of moonstone linked equidistant from each other, each depicting a different phase of the moon. Every few nights, a different charm would light up under the moonlight depending on the phase of the moon. Tonight, however, my bracelet lay cold against my wrist. The new moon provided no light, and thus no energy for my bracelet.

"It tells you of the phases of the moon. However, it also serves a…different purpose." The lord breathed deeply and scrunched his eyebrows together, as if struggling with some thought. "It serves as a symbol of your power, of who you truly are."

Confusion settled in, easing my anxiety only slightly.

Several loud explosions breaking in the distance broke the silence that had once again settled between us. Father's breathing suddenly grew ragged, and his eyes darted to every corner of the room, as if anticipating something, or searching for someone.

"I do not have much time to explain," he said, "So forgive me for what I am about to say. Kira, my dear daughter…. You have special powers, as you are undoubtedly aware." He paused for a response from me. When I gave him none but a confused stare, he sighed. "Do you feel different on nights of the full moon?" I nodded. "And on nights of the new moon, such as tonight, do you feel different as well? Vulnerable, perhaps?" I could not look at him any longer, so I chose to look at my hands instead. Those weren't special powers. Everyone feels less secure on the new moon because there is more darkness. The opposite goes for the full moon. It wasn't anything special.

"These nights affect you more than anyone else because of your powers."

I couldn't help but interject. "But Father, what powers do you speak of? I've never witnessed anything special that I have done."

The serious castle lord was back. "I will overlook your blatant rudeness this once, as we don't have much time. Yes, you have powers that you are not fully aware of yet. I have seen them with my own eyes. Or, perhaps, in some instances, heard them. You have several times answered my unanswered questions out loud. You have imparted critical information about my soldiers' behavior to me, saving me from sabotage several times. Kira, you have the power to read minds."

I could not believe my ears. Read minds? I was good at interpreting behavior, but not like this. Father must be so exhausted that he was hallucinating.

"That isn't the only power you possess, however. You also possess incredible healing powers. With a touch of just your hand, you once healed a very grave wound suffered by one of my captains who was an inch from death. Any minor injuries that you suffered—," he cringed at the thought, "—healed almost instantly."

"What are you saying, Father? If I have all these powers, how could I not have known about them? What do you mean by all of this?" I could not stand seeing my father so delirious. I wondered where my mother was. She would be able to calm him down and show him how silly he sounded. "Where is Mother? I'm sure she will say that you are not making any s—"

"No!" he bellowed. "You must listen to me," he said a bit a softer. I could see the visible panic taking over his features. "When you were just new to this world, you became very ill. Not all the priestesses in the village could cure you. All had given up and advised us to abandon you as you continued to decline. Desperate, your mother and I prayed to the gods to spare your life. Miraculously, they answered."

Another series of loud booms echoed outside. They sounded much closer than before, and sent vibrations surging through the floor and up my legs. My father grew more fidgety and began speaking more hastily.

"That night, a single tear from your mother's eye caught on your hand…or maybe you caught it. We still are not sure. However, as soon as it touched you, a soft white light enveloped you, growing brighter every second until we could bear it no longer…and then it just disappeared."

"Disappeared?" I asked, confused.

"Yes. When we looked again, a beautiful young maiden was sitting next to you. We could almost see right through her, but we somehow knew she meant no harm," Father almost smiled and started to visibly relax.

"Who was she, Father?" I was becoming engrossed in the story, almost forgetting that a war was at our doorstep.

"She called herself Sereni. Several days later, I asked the wise sage, and he told me that was the name of the Goddess of the Moon. She seemed to know all about you and more, telling us that you would grow up to be a strong woman—"another blast stopped his speech mid-sentence, "—but that's a story for another time. After talking with us, we asked the Goddess if she could help you. She said she would try, and touched your hand—right there, on your left wrist," he looked down once again at my bracelet.

The bracelet was a mark, then? It made no sense to me, as I could easily remove the jewelry whenever I wished. However, when I did, a strong sense of dread would overcome me the further away I walked from it. If I was far enough away, the feeling would be strong enough to make me ill, something I learned when one of the guards (who had been an enemy in disguise) tried to steal our jewelry, including my bracelet.

"Within moments, you opened your eyes for the first time in days. You cried for the first time in weeks. Your mother and I cried tears of joy at your recovery. But then Sereni gave us a warning." He paused a moment, as if collecting his thoughts. "She told us that you were completely healed, but that was only because of your soul. You were her daughter…or, as I understand it, a reincarnation of her daughter. A "Daughter of the Moon," as she called you. It is a reincarnation that occurs every couple of generations in your mother's bloodline, activated only in times of need. When Sereni touched your hand, you became a demi-goddess: half mortal, half god."

I grew light-headed under all this new information. A demi-goddess? What did that mean? I was the reincarnation of the daughter of a goddess? I could feel the feeling escaping my legs as blood circulation was hampered by sitting for quite some time. I wanted desperately to leave and go back to sleep, hoping this was all a strange dream. At the same time, however, I knew everything my father was telling me was the truth. Enlightened with this knowledge, I was becoming aware of a light-ness in my body, a purring feeling of energy just beneath my skin. My previous anxiety soon gave way to a sense of power and the need to protect my family.

Without warning, the door I had entered from burst open. Instinctively, my father sprang up and rushed to cover me, a sword already brandished. Where had that been hiding?

Several guards stood before us, eyes wide with panic and urgency. We could now plainly hear the commotion that was occurring elsewhere in the castle. Screams echoed loudly, and my body tensed in fear.

"The demons are at the gates, my lord! You must get to safety now! We can't hold them off for much longer!" The first guard to stumble in shouted.

My father cursed something under his breath. He looked at me. His face held worry and determination all at once. "Kira, listen to me closely. Go and find your mother and escape. The both of you must leave at once. Run as far away as you can. I will catch up with you later."

"But Father—"

"NOW, Kira!"

Tears began to well up in my eyes, and it took all of my will to prevent them from falling. A demi-goddess, even if only half strong, must still be strong, right?

Without another word, I turned and ran towards my mother's chambers as fast as my legs would carry me.


	2. Chapter 2

Hi everyone! Here is Chapter 2! I will try my best to update once a week, but once classes start...I can't promise anything. I hope you'll bear with me and follow me through to the end! I'm really excited for this story. =)

No canon characters appear in this chapter. Some will appear in the next chapter. Sesshoumaru appears in Chapter 4, I promise. So if you will be patient, I promise you will enjoy this story. These first three chapters are an extended prologue, of sorts.

Please review! I would really like to know what you guys think, especially any constructive criticism you might have or events you'd like to see transpire. While I can't promise that the latter will definitely happen, I will definitely consider your opinions. =)

~Akane-chan

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Chapter 2: Escape

Despite the moon being absent in the sky, the halls of the castle seemed much brighter as I ran toward my mother's chambers. My senses heightened, I felt and heard my heart in my head pounding intensely through my veins. I paused outside the sliding door to the room with my hand slightly outstretched. Doubt crept into my mind, and I couldn't explain it to myself. It bothered me that this nagging voice in my head was telling me to stop and go the other way—to run away by myself. Father told me that I needed Mother. I needed her to teach me about my powers. But why? How could she teach me? Something didn't sit well with me—but I couldn't put any words to what it was.

Screams of battle reached my ears, acute and powerful. My father's words to run rang in my head, overpowering the sudden doubt. I shook my head. I will have time to think about all of this later. Swallowing hard, I slide open the door. Surprisingly, my mother was not alone in her room.

"Kira, dear," Mother said calmly. I was quite taken aback with her reception of me at this hour. She had to have heard the chaos outside, and yet, she was sitting calmly by her window, while one of her servants packed a small bag quietly in a corner. She had been waiting for me, it was obvious. With one smile at me, she turned her gaze out the window and upwards toward the night sky. Closing her eyes, she muttered something too soft for me to hear. A single tear trailed down her cheek, and my breath caught. Never before had I seen my mother be anything other than calm and collected. Doubt crept back into my mind.

"Mother…," I squeaked. My voice was weak against my parched throat.

"Your father is going into that war now, isn't he?" She asked. I could not bring myself to answer. Emotion pushed against my eyes, and it was all I could do to keep it contained. She did not seem to need an answer, however; she rose from the window and walked over to her servant, who had just placed a blanket inside the bag. Closing the bag, he handed it to Mother, and with a bow, left the room.

Mother walked over to me, bag slung over her arm. With her other arm, she put her hand on my shoulder, smiling again at me.

"How much did your father tell you?" She asked.

"He…" I started, but wasn't sure how to finish the sentence. I had learned so much within a very short amount of time. I couldn't quite put it all together in my head. "He told me to find you and run away. He…he said that you would teach me how to use my powers, I think."

"Alright, then. Let us make our leave, my daughter. We must not linger here anymore." She took me by the hand and led me to the front of the castle. Once we reached the courtyard, guards greeted us. They escorted us to the front gates, Once through, Mother dismissed them, Hesitantly, they obliged and returned inside the walls.

"Mother, is it wise to send them back inside? What if we're attacked?" My eyes darted toward every dark shadow, scanning each for unnatural movement. I wish she had let them continue with us. I felt much safer with them around us, especially tonight.

"They need to remain here and protect the castle. We will be fine on our own. As long as I am with you, you will be safe," she said quite calmly. I was struck by her confidence. What could she do that made her so calm? For some reason I could not understand, I believed her, and some of my anxiety ebbed away. I nodded, and we continued toward the forest that began just outside the castle walls.

An unnatural darkness seemed to permeate the atmosphere of the forest. Almost no light escaped through the tree canopies; I could not see beyond a meter in front of me. I could only make out vague outlines on the floor of rocks and roots. I prayed that I would not trip or fall in a camouflaged hole. Somehow, though, my mother moved with ease among the trees, and, much to my dismay, weaved sporadically among them, turning at unexpected moments. Her pace quickened to a point that it was difficult for me to keep up. I was grateful that she was grasping my hand tightly, as she was now half-dragging, half guiding me through.

"Do not let your guard down, Kira," Mother's voice echoed through the forest. I nodded.

An eerie breeze shook the trees and caused my hair to stand on end. The urge to run gnawed at me like a wild bear, and I couldn't understand why. We were far away from the castle at this point and I could not hear anything of the battle taking place, if it was still happening. Nevertheless, I crept closer to my mother, gripping her arm tightly.

"Mother, something doesn't feel right about this place. We should go somewhere else…," I whispered.

"I know, Kira. I feel it as well. But we must regain as much of our strength as we can. Otherwise, if we are found, we would be captured easily."

_She's right,_ I thought, _but I don't feel tired at all. _If I really needed to, I could probably run non-stop for at least ten kilometers. I looked at my mother. Her face was pained, and her eyes blinked rapidly in exhaustion. She could not run if we were caught now by whatever was attacking the castle. She was human. _A normal human._ I found myself growing uneasy.

The light seemed to brighten around us as we travelled deeper inside. I was unsure of whether we were reaching the other side of the woods or if my eyes were acclimating to the darkness. My thoughts were answered only a moment later.

"We are almost there, Kira. Look," Mother pointed to the sky above us. I looked up, and my heart leapt for joy. I could see the stars through the canopy! Finally, we were almost out of this dreadful forest.

Finally, we came to a short, rocky wall. I had never been past the forest on the grounds. I once went just a short distance into the woods when the guards weren't looking. Moments later, there was a commotion and my father grew so angry with everyone who crossed his path. Frightened for the guards' lives, I came back out to explain what had happened. I had never seen Father that angry, and I frankly did not wish to ever experience that again, in the moment or in hindsight.

"I think this is a good spot," Mother said. I followed her gaze. A small, short hole in the rocky cliff was just to our left. I walked cautiously over to it. I could not see three meters inside, it was so dark. I wish the moon shone tonight. I did not like this feeling of vulnerability.

Mother walked inside without hesitation. I swallowed the lump in my throat and quickly followed. Once again, she moved about with ease, as if she had been here before. It occurred to me that maybe she had been here before, many times.

Finding a flat space, Mother quickly lit a fire and sat down. How she did it, I was not sure, but I was grateful for the light and warmth it provided. Quite ungracefully, I eagerly plopped down next to my mother and sighed. I hadn't realized just how sore and tired my body was until just now.

"Kira, that is not how a young lady sits," Mother scolded, though a smile graced her features. "Are you alright?"

I nodded. "I'm tired, though." My stomach growled and I grinned sheepishly. "And a little hungry."

Mother pulled out a roll of bread from her bag and handed it to me. "Here you go. We will gather food for a proper meal tomorrow after we rest. It is too dangerous right now."

There was a question I was dying to ask. A silence extended between us as I thought of how to ask it. Finally, I spoke up.

"Mother..." I started. I was still so unsure. Would she tell me? What of Father? I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answer to my questions.

"You want to know why your father sent us away, am I correct?" She finished for me. I nodded slowly. Instead of answering, she merely smiled and cupped my face with her hand.

"There is time for that tomorrow. You have had a long night. Get some rest, and I promise you will have your answers when you wake."

I frowned. My mind was too frantic to even consider sleep at this point; but I yawned and knew she was right. I had only been asleep for a couple of hours before the guards woke me up.

"Are we safe here? Won't they find us...whoever is attacking us?" I asked.

"Yes, we will be safe here. I put up a barrier at the entrance to the cave to conceal our scent and ki," she consoled.

Confused, I looked toward the entrance. It was faint, but I could see the air rippling and glowing slightly. I thought to ask if they won't be able to see the unnatural light the barrier eminated, but my mind grew hazy with exhaustion.

"Ok," I said. With one last yawn, I curled up next to my mother and fell asleep.

I woke just a few hours later to cloudy sunlight barely lighting up the darkness of the cave. Immediately, the smell of burning incense assaulted my nose. I sneezed once, followed by several coughs, before covering up my nose with the sleeve of my kimono. I looked around and found the small bowl burning above the small fire we made only recently. The intense smell worried me-surely the barrier Mother put up could not hide such a smell completely. But Mother knew best.

With the added light of the morning, I could finally see my surroundings more clearly. The walls of the cave were dark and glistening with moisture, almost mossy. The cave itself seemed almost unnatural in the smoothness of the walls and floor around us. I reached out to touch the wall. I felt cool against my hand, yet comforting. I wondered again how often my parents had come here before.

"Ah, you are awake," I heard my mother's voice call from the entrance. "I bet you are hungry. I gathered some food for us. Here." She handed me a small satchel. Confused, I opened it. Inside, I found an assortment of red and blue berries, herbs, and some bread from the previous night. My mouth watered and my stomach growled in anticipation.

Mother laughed. "Go on-eat. I've already taken my share. Have as much as you like," she said as she sat across from me, the incense fire between us. Without hesitation, I devoured the berries and bread, the sweet flavors coating my mouth, temporarily satiating my thirst and hunger. Finished, I set the fabric that held the food down and glanced up. Mother smiled softly at me. There was something else to that smile, however; something sad that I couldn't quite place. I noticed her eyes were red and had dark circles beneath them.

"Mother, did you not sleep a all?" I asked.

The sad smile reached her eyes. "I was making sure you were safe."

"But you said your barrier would protect us," I complained. She needed sleep. I couldn't survive out here on my own.

"I was just being careful in case the barrier fell," she said. I didn't quite believe her. Part of me thought that she knew her barrier wouldn't be enough to protect us from whatever had attacked the castle. I swallowed hard. We weren't safe at all.

"Now, are you ready to begin your training?"

I perked up. Yes, I remembered Father telling me that I was supposed to learn how to use my powers. My heart sunk a little at the thought of my Father. I prayed he was alright. But what powers was he referring to? I wasn't aware that I had any. Regardless, I nodded enthusiastically toward her.

"Then let us begin," she said, angling herself toward me. "First, I must ask you a question. How much did your Father tell you about who you are?"

I stopped. My memories of last night were muddled from lack of sleep and chaos. I tried recounting the conversation I had, but leaving out several details because I didn't quite understand them. Nevertheless, Mother smiled and seemed to relax slightly.

"That's good. You know the general idea. However, there is one thing he did not mention because he does not know of it," she said. "Shortly after Sereni healed you, she appeared before me, when I was alone nursing you. She gave me a bottle with a strange glowing liquid inside it. When I asked her what it was, she told me that it was an elixir of life and perpetual youth, and to have you drink some every day for at least seven days. I asked her why, since you were already healthy and alive. She shook her head and faded away. Before she was completely gone, I heard her say something to me: 'She must fulfill her destiny.'" She paused for a moment to look at me closely. When I gave no response, she continued. "Your father and I planned to tell you this later, when you were much older. We wanted you to live as normal a life as possible, free from any worries about this. But, given the circumstances...it seems you will have to grow up just a few years earlier than we planned," her voice trailed off. She closed her eyes for a moment. I sat there, watching her. Finally, I found my voice.

"Why does Father not know about this?"

"Because I know your father. If he had learned of your immortality, you would not have been allowed out of your room, let alone out on the grounds with the guards." She smiled, and it was a genuine, happy smile. My eyes, however, widened at the thought of being locked in my room forever.

"Mother...what does 'immortality' mean?" I asked.

"It means, Kira, that you can never die," she answered. I gasped, and her smile faded slightly. "However, it does not mean you cannot be injured or fall ill. Should you fall ill with an incurable disease or become permanently injured, you will live with it-forever. So you must take extreme caution with everything you do."

I nodded in understanding, not quite sure how to respond.

"You do have heightened healing capabilities, however," Mother continued. Her voice was more light-hearted and her smile returned. "I suppose it is to help you combat injury and illness. Perhaps a gift from the goddess, as one of your powers."

This was the part I was most excited about. "What powers do I have? How do I use them?"

"I see you are eager to learn. You always have been attracted to knowledge. That is one trait I am glad you inherited from me," she said. "I won't keep you waiting any longer, then. Let's start with something simple: mind-reading."


	3. Chapter 3

Hi Everyone!

Sorry about the long wait. I try to update once a week, but things are getting hectic for me with school starting soon. I'm still writing, though! So don't count me out!

This will be the last chapter of Kira's backstory. I promise all of you "Lord Fluffy" fangirls will get to see him in the next chapter. Just bear with me. =)

~Akane-chan

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Chapter 3: Knowing Your Enemy

"Mind-reading is a more defensive power. You can use it to read another's mind and predict their actions, but you can also use it to alter one's thoughts. Alterations are much more difficult to execute, however, because you must change the basic ideas which bore those thoughts."

I was confused. This all seemed impossible. Changing someone's thoughts? How was I to learn all of this? Could Mother also use these powers? Questions and doubt filled my head, pushing away some of my initial excitement.

"How do you know all of this?" I asked. "Are you able to read another person's mind?"

She smiled. "It is something that my family is able to do, if they are chosen. These powers lie dormant if they are not needed. Since the Great Goddess appeared, my gifts have been needed in order to teach you one day."

"Oh," I said. I immediately thought of what she has caught me thinking and gulped. I hope nothing embarrassing.

"Now let's begin," Mother immediately became serious, her smile replaced by a look of stern determination. "Sit as I do."

I obeyed, criss-crossing my legs over each other below me.

"Good. Now, close your eyes and take deep breaths... Slow your breathing. Concentrate on nothing but that."

I did as I was told. The sensation of deliberatly slowing my breathing was strange. I began to lose some sense of the space around me. My body felt like it was falling through the ground. I gasped, and my eyes shot open.

"What happened, Kira?" Mother asked, concerned. I was breathing quite heavily now.

"I...I felt like I was...falling. It was a strange feeling," I said, then I frowned. "I'm sorry. I messed up."

"Oh no, Kira. It's alright. It is natural to feel that way when you first experience meditation," she said, trying to comfort me. "You are learning to separate your mind from your body."

Meditation. Separating my mind from my body? It sounded scary and dangerous. Though I understood the feeling of falling now, my apprehension remained. I was sure the Goddess made a mistake when she chose me. I couldn't do this. I was still just a kid. Why couldn't my mother do this instead? She knew how to use all of these powers. I would just mess up, like I just did.

I closed my eyes tight against the world. Maybe if I couldn't see, the world would go away. I hugged my knees tightly against my chest.

"Kira...," Mother said. "I will be right here with you. You don't need to be frightened. Nothing will hurt you."

I opened my eyes to peek out at my mother. "But why me? You can already do all of these things."

Her sad smile was back. "You will understand when you are older. The Goddess chose you for a reason, my daughter. Now please..."

Hesitantly, I released my legs and once again sat with my legs crossed. I closed my eyes, this time lightly, and began the process of slowing down my breathing. The falling sensation returned, but this time I ignored it, continuing to breath slow, deliberate breaths. It was strange how much effort it took to consciously think about breathing when we do it automatically every second. Soon, the falling sensation was replaced by one of suspension. I wanted to open my eyes, to see if I was actually floating, but resisted the urge.

"Good," I could hear Mother's voice soft and clear, almost hypnotizing. "Clear your mind of all thoughts. Push all thoughts and worries of the world out of your mind. Be at peace within yourself."

Without responding, I did as I was told. I felt a lightness in my chest, a comforting feeling rising from deep inside me. My mind felt far above my physical body, and without a definite shape or boundary to tell me how far I could reach, it was a feeling of complete freedom.

"Now open your eyes," she said, breaking my reverie. I quickly fell back into my body, and I reluctantly opened my eyes. I didn't want to leave the place I had just found. "How did it feel?"

"I felt like I was floating above my body. I felt...," I thought for a moment of how to describe the feeling, "I felt completely free from everything."

Mother looked surprised. "Well done. I did not expect you to reach a meditative state so quickly." She looked at me, pride evident in her eyes. "As expected of my daughter.

"Remember how you brought yourself into that state. Your mind needs to be clear and pure before you can read another's mind. At first it will take you some time, as it just did. With practice, however, you will be able to do it effortlessly. Now, I shall teach you how to enter another's mind." She looked around the cave. "Ah, this will do." She leaned over and plucked a small lizard from the wall. It squirmed in her hand. She gazed down at it, and her eyes dilated for a moment before returning to normal. The lizard no longer resisted her hold, and she set it down softly in front of her.

"What do you want me to do?" I asked after several moment of silence had passed.

"I changed a thought in that lizard's mind. Your task is to find it," she said simply.

"But...how?" I asked. She made it sound so easy.

"Push outward with your mind. An animal's mind is much easier to enter than a human's mind, so you should not have any trouble."

I swallowed hard. What if I messed up again?

I stopped my train of thought. I couldn't think about that now. I just had to focus on being free again. I closed my eyes and followed the procedure again. I felt my body fully relax as my breathing slowed. My mind once again floated above me. I willed it to move forward. I then realized I couldn't see.

"How do I see where I am going?" I asked.

"Open your eyes slowly. Be careful not to fall out of meditation."

As soon as she spoke, fear and agitation once again gnawed at my mind. When I tried to open my eyes, I harshly fell back into consciousness. Almost immediately, tears pooled in my eyes. I failed again.

"Kira, why are you crying? What happened?" Mother asked. She nimbly moved to my side and held me in her arms. "Shhh, don't cry. You must be strong. You must not let fear control you."

_I know, but...,_ I thought. I have never felt so unsure and vulnerable as I did now. I wasn't sure which was worse: unknown physical dangers or unknown failure. I looked down at the ground. My mother didn't say a word; she just continued to hold me and let me cry. Several moments passed as I lay there. I needed to be strong, but I wasn't sure if I could do it.

I would never know until I tried.

With renewed resolve, I wiped the tears from my face and recentered myself on the floor. I began to meditate and reached the floating state much faster than before. Once I felt secure, I slowly opened my eyes and focused on feeling free. This time, I stayed there. I gasped slightly at what I saw. I looked on through my eyes, but my mind still felt outside of my body. My vision was slightly unfocused and unstable, but I found the hazy outline of the lizard still sitting serenely in front of me. I willed my mind to push forward and felt myself drift softly toward the tiny animal, like the wind. Before I made contact with its body, I seeped seamlessly into its head, a strange sensation not unlike passing through a dense liquid. Webs of thoughts and ideas floated around me, and I knew I had successfully entered its mind. I was beyond joyous and wanted to cry out that I had done it, but stopped when I felt myself falling. _I must be strong_, I recited to myself. I steadied once again, and continued on.

A sudden thought occurred to me: how was I going to find the thought that was changed? What did a changed thought look like? What did a normal thought look like? I had no idea what I was looking for. This lizard didn't have many thoughts-there was a lot of empty space to float around in-but the expanse of its mind seemed almost endless as I watched thoughts drift away from me and out of view. _I must be strong._ I thought of trying the most recent memories at the forefront of its mind. Numerous threads of light intertwined with one another. They all appeared at first glance to be alike-pure white clouds of light floating through an endless space. I continued searching until I found one separated from the others. It seemed to coalesce in front of me, almost brittle. I drifted forward to touch it. This was it.

I was so excited that I lost focus and slammed back into my body. My head pounded in pain from being ripped forcefully from the lizard's mind. I gripped it tightly around my ears.

"Are you alright? What happened, Kira?" Mother asked. Her voice sounded amplified to my ears, causing my head to pound harder.

I nodded, the only thing I could do until the pain died down. Once it did, I slowly opened my eyes, cringing at the brightness that I once thought was dark.

"I'm ok," I said softly. "I was just so excited when I found the memory...the next thing I knew, I hit my body, hard. My head hurts."

"Good, you're alright," she sighed in relief, "And you completed the task. You just lost focus, that's all. You must always be vigilant when using this power." She paused for a moment until she could see that I was not in pain anymore. "What was the thought you found?"

I paused to think for a moment. My mind was still reeling from being through so hard. "I think...you told it to flip backwards?"

For the first time, I saw my mother smile from ear to ear. "Good! Well done, Kira. Here, have some bread and berries." She handed me a chunk of bread topped with many berries that she had picked before. I hadn't noticed how hungry I was until I smelled their sweet flavors. I eagerly ate them, and my headache ebbed away.

"Thank you," I said.

"Just remember, you need to keep your mind free of emotion. You must not let it control you, be it good or bad. Otherwise...well, you experienced what happens."

"How do I change a thought like you did?" I asked.

"In much a similar way as reading a thought, except you need to transfer a thought from your mind to the other person's-or in this case, animal-mind. It must be a very basic idea, especially if you want to change an entire sentiment that is rooted in complicated webs. But once again, it all takes practice." Suddenly, she rose. "Let's take a break and walk for a bit. Come, Kira," she beckoned me, and I followed.

Mother showed me around the forest. During the day, it had a much different atmosphere—sunlight filtered through the treetops easily like small waterfalls of light. The ground was relatively flat, save for a few small roots that poked up through the soft ground. Tiny critters flitted to and fro through bushes around the trunks. The smell of fresh grass permeated throughout the air, clean, crisp, and comforting. I could hear the faint sound of running water—was there a river nearby?

In a few hours, I learned how to gather food and herbs for different purposes—berries that I could eat, berries that were poisonous, herbs that could be used for medicinal purposes, even how to set simple traps to get meat. I was in awe the entire time; I hadn't expected my mother, who spent almost all of her time in the castle and never got her hands dirty, to be this knowledgeable of survival skills. I did not ask questions—my mind was still trying to process everything it had learned this morning. I decided to just accept that my mother could do anything, and knowing how find food was something I was not about to complain about.

Mother also had me continuously practice my mind-reading skills. For every animal that we came across that would stay still for longer than a couple seconds, she had me enter each mind and read every thought. After a while, she began to time me in exercises to predict an animal's movements before it escaped. I attempted altering their thoughts to make them stay, but all I managed was angering two foxes enough to force me out of their minds and almost attacking us. Mother must have accomplished what I could not, because they had suddenly stopped charging, paused for a moment, then calmly walked away.

By the time we made it back to our cave, the sun was setting just above the treetops. While my feet were in pain from walking all day, I felt absolutely buoyant. I had never before been outside the castle this long. I had never been able to explore the outside world as much as I had in just this one day. It was such a new experience for me that I was sad when Mother said we should head back. I just wanted to continue exploring and learning about everything I had been protected from in the castle. I couldn't stop asking questions all day. What caused me to finally pause was seeing my mother's face in the fading sunlight. Though she had a smile on her face, she looked worn and tired. She seemed to have aged many years in just this past day. The bags I had noticed under her eyes before deepened and darkened, further accentuated by the shadows created by the sunlight. Despite the deep reds and oranges decorating the skies, her skin was pale, almost sickly.

I opened my mouth to call out her name, but no words would come out. I wasn't sure I wanted to know the answer if something was wrong.

"Hurry inside, Kira. I need to erect the barrier again," she said. I hadn't noticed before that the barrier had disappeared. I quickly obeyed, and in a few seconds, the barrier was up and she joined me back by our things.

"We have still much to learn tomorrow. Sleep now, Kira; you will need your strength."

My face fell, but I complied. Time would pass much faster if I slept, and then we could continue. I lay down to sleep. I hadn't noticed until my body began to relax just how sore my muscles were. I groaned inwardly. I hoped I wouldn't be in pain the next morning. It would make using and learning my powers more difficult. With that thought, my mind drifted off into slumber.

Bright sunlight filtered through my eyelids and woke me the next morning. I blinked against the sudden brightness, shielding my eyes until the acclimated to the new day. I looked around and found my mother just outside the cave preparing something over a fire. From the savory smell that wafted up my nose, I assumed it was breakfast. My stomach growled in anticipation. Holding my stomach soothingly, as if it was a child, I propped myself up to my feet and walked toward the delicious smell.

"Ah, you're awake," Mother said, smiling up at me. She seemed jovial this morning, her face peaceful albeit tired as the night before. "Did you sleep well?"

I nodded. I had indeed slept very well, since I had worn my mind out thoroughly from practicing. "Did you sleep?"

"I slept a little while, yes." She turned her gaze back toward the food cooking over the fire on sticks. She began turning each skewered meat over to cook on the other side. "Breakfast will not be ready for some time. Why don't you go pick some berries for us? You can practice with your powers as well," she suggested.

"Alright," I assented eagerly. Practicing without my mother around would be less stressful, not to mention I could take my time exploring as I wanted. I bounded for the forest.

I could hear Mother's laugh behind me. "Don't wander off too far!"

"I won't!" I called behind me.

It was the most exquisite feeling in the world to explore the world (or at least a small part of it) as I wanted.

I spent a good while climbing trees. I found that I was very nimble and could climb very quickly and jump from branch to branch to get around much faster. When I found large animals, such as a fox or boar, I practiced my mind-reading from above them, so they would not notice my presence. After a short while, I barely noticed the sensation of entering another's mind. My powers were becoming second nature to me, and I could release my mind at will. I realized that while my mind drifted outside, my senses were heightened, and I could smell and hear every little critter for at least one kilometer. I still could not fully alter thoughts, but I was able to influence feelings through suggestions. Sometimes I would try to urge a fox to climb a tree, but instead of climbing, it would just sniff at the base of the trunk before walking away.

I used my powers to easily find the most ripe berries in the forest. They glistened in the morning dew, bright and plump against the deep green of the branches and bushes they grew on.

"I'm sure Mother wouldn't mind if I ate one or two on my own," I muttered to myself. I looked around, as if expecting her to be watching me. Confident she was not there, I grinned and popped three red berries in my mouth. Their juices exploded over my tongue with tangy goodness. I moaned appreciatively.

A sudden explosion of sound reached my ears. I looked in the direction it came from and watched as several trees began to fall randomly to the floor a short distance away . It was in the same direction as our cave.

My stomach fell. "Mother..." I prayed that she was alright.

Without a second thought, I dashed through the trees, hopping the branches instead of running on the ground. I felt safer up in the trees, and I could move much faster here. Small branches caught in my hair and scraped at my arms as I ran by, but I ignored them. In no time, I reached our cave.

My heart stopped.

There was a body lying on the floor in a small pool of blood. The woman's raven hair was windblown and tangled, as if she had flown a great distance through the air before landing. Her clothes bore large slashes, as if large claws had cut through them. They were dirty from blood and the surrounding earth, growing darker as red liquid oozed quickly from a wound in her stomach. From here, I couldn't tell if her chest was rising and falling, indicating that she was still alive.

"Mother…," I whispered at first, then yelled, "Mother!"

The body of the woman stirred, and she slowly craned her head in my direction. She was alive! Her usually beautiful face was marred with gashes similar to those in her clothes. Her eyes, the pure, blue-silver orbs that I inherited from her, were scrunched in pain.

"No…Kira…run…," her voiced strained.

"So this is the girl Naraku has been looking for? She's just a kid."

The voice of another woman startled me, causing me to fall off the tree branch I had been hiding in. Thankfully, I wasn't very high up and landed on my bottom with an ungraceful _oomph_. I looked toward the unfamiliar voice. A woman dressed in a red and white kimono stood before me. Her dark brown hair was short and tied high up in the back with what looked like several feathers. Open in her hand was a white fan with red stripes that perfectly matched her clothing. At first glance, this woman seemed harmless. Her eyes, however, betrayed that look of delicate innocence. Deep red, the color of blood and evil, they stared down at me with a piercing heartlessness that paralyzed me with fear.

The woman took one step toward me, and a shriek escaped my lips. I quickly covered my mouth with a shaking hand. Suddenly, I became aware of a powerful aura surrounding the area. It was not one I was familiar with and was laced with evil intent. It did not feel human at all. It could only be the aura of a demon.

_I must be strong._

"Y-you're a…a demon," my voice shook as I spoke.

The woman's face fell in disappointment. "You aren't even putting up a fight like your mother did. This is boring," she sighed, ignoring my comment. She raised her fan in front of her face and advanced toward me. I slowly crawled backwards. Her figure slowly blurred in my vision as tears pooled in my eyes.

"Naraku wants you back alive. If you come quietly, I won't hurt you," the woman said.

"No…leave her be. Kira, run. Take me instead…," Mother said. He voice sounded weaker. The woman grimaced and waved her fan in the direction of my mother. A giant gust of wind blew from it, flinging my mother against the rocky wall behind her. She fell to the ground, unconscious. I wanted to run, but I needed to save her. My mind was at war with itself, half of it shouting at me to run and save myself, the other half begging me to stay and stop this monster.

_Someone, help us,_ I prayed silently.

"Ara, reidou getsuei, naito no kouhi, yuu ware iza."

The strange words escaped my lips in a language I did not understand. However, as soon as I spoke them, I felt an intense fire radiating inside me. Its fiery power spread rapidly throughout my body, filling me with courage and determination. I thought I could easily defeat one hundred of these demons.

The she-demon stopped in her tracks. Her eyes grew wide with fear as she stared at something below me. I followed her gaze. All eight moon charms on my bracelet were glowing fiercely in a rainbow of colors, its intense heat stinging hotly against my skin. Almost a physical representation of what I was feeling inside, my bracelet also seemed to be warning me against something.

_Of course, there's a demon right here. A little late for that, though. _

The woman did not come closer. I tentatively rose to my feet, and then took a step forward. She did not move from her spot, but narrowed her red eyes at me.

"Demon, who are you and what do you want with me and my mother?" I asked, my voice surprisingly steady and firm. It did not sound like my own.

"I am Kagura, the wind sorceress. _I_ don't want anything from you, but Naraku does. Specifically you, little girl. Now, if you don't want me to kill your mother right here, I suggest you come with me," she growled impatiently.

_Does she know my secret? _"And what does this Naraku want with me?" I asked, my bravado concealing the rising panic in my stomach.

"How should I know what he wants with a small human girl? I'm just here to collect you. Now come," she ordered.

"Are you the one who attacked the castle?"

"Ugh, why do you ask so many questions? Seriously, you humans never shut up," Kagura raised her fan to her face, poised to attack.

I took a small step back. "I'll never go with you."

Kagura merely shrugged her shoulders. "And so eager to die. Dance of Blades!" Kagura waved her fan toward me.

My body reacted before my mind could register the four blades of light hurtling toward me and jumped out of the way. The blades exploded behind me, creating charred ashes out of the trees that once stood there. A squirrel scurried away from the explosion. Suddenly, inspiration hit me. I relaxed as much as I was able, concentrating hard on sending my mind outward. I prayed and willed the squirrel to do as I asked. At first, the squirrel just froze in its tracks, confused. It remained unmoving for a while. I feared that I had not been successful when I started moving forward slowly.

Then, like a demon, it turned and bolted straight toward Kagura's face.

"Agh!" Kagura screamed as she tried to bat away the offending animal. It fell to the floor and scurried away, but not before dealing a deep gash into Kagura's face.

"You…," she breathed, "you will pay for this! Dance of Dragons!"

The sky turned dark almost instantaneously before unleashing a roaring twister. It spun in place for a moment, gathering debris by destroying the area around it before shooting toward me. I couldn't move, too awestruck at the massive cone of wind that just appeared from the sky as if all the wrath of the gods had materialized into one form, and was now at the beck and call of this horrible demoness. I fell to my knees and closed my eyes, bracing myself for its impact.

But it never came.

I cautiously opened my eyes. At first I thought I _had_ been hit when the image of Kagura swirled in front of me. It took me a moment to realize that I was perfectly fine because the spinning was due to a barrier surrounding me, much like the one my mother erected for our cave. My mouth hung open slightly in amazement. How did I do that? I had no idea. Mother never mentioned to me all of the powers I had, so I wasn't sure if this was one of them.

The barrier slowly disintegrated before my eyes. "No…!" I panicked. I couldn't avoid that twister attack again if it came.

Kagura smirked. "You won't be so lucky this time, you little brat—"

Kagura halted mid-swing and looked around. Confused, I looked as well. There was nothing around us. We were alone in this forest. Then a faint sound reached my ears. Buzzing. I strained my eyes in the direction I thought it was coming from. Soon, a cloud of black specks was approaching us through the trees.

"Insects?" I said, dumbfounded. The black specks were actually hundreds of demonic-looking bees dyed purple and yellow. Kagura wasn't phased in the slightest. If anything, she seemed annoyed at their arrival.

"Heh. Saimyoushou," she spit out the name as if it was something dirty on her tongue. A silence extended between us as Kagura looked toward them. The Saimyoushou did nothing but continue buzzing and looking toward her. After a long moment, Kagura spoke. "We'll finish this later." With that, she plucked a feather from her hair and threw it to the ground, where it exploded in a blast of white smoke. I coughed heavily and shielded my face. When the smoke had cleared, Kagura was flying up in the sky on top of a large white feather, followed by the Saimyoushou.

When I was sure she was gone, I ran over to my mother. Her skin was very pale, almost white from loss of so much blood. Her chest rose in quick, shallow breaths. She was alive…!

"Mother, are you alright? Please hang in there. I will go and fetch some help," I said softly.

"Kira," she said, just barely audible. She slowly opened her eyes and looked behind me. "The demoness is gone…well done, my daughter."

"You must not speak," I pleaded. "You will need your energy to recover." I placed a hand on her arm. It was icy cold to the touch. Pressure began to build behind my eyes as I struggled to fight back tears. _I must be strong_.

"It is too late for me now," she said, that familiar sad smile returning to her lips. "The great goddess Hekate is waiting for me. Before I join her, you must listen to me."

"No, Mother, you can't go! I can't do this on my own…. Please, just rest. Everything will be okay," I said, more for my own comfort than hers. My vision was blurry from tears.

"Kira, you have been a wonderful daughter, and I wish I could be there to help you through the burden you must now carry. Kira—" she coughed violently. I tightened my grip on her arm.

"Please, Mother, you can tell me this later," I begged her to listen. I needed her to get well.

"You must know this now," she ignored my pleas and continued speaking. "Do you remember of when I explained the circumstances of your birth to you? About the destiny Sereni wanted you to fulfill?" She paused, waiting for a response from me. I nodded. "Now you must know. You must find…The Prince of the Moon."

I scrunched my eyebrows in confusion. "A prince? Why? Who? How do I find him? How will I know?"

She smiled again. "So eager to learn. You will know…because of a distinct facial feature that he will carry."

A facial feature? What kind? "What do I do when I find him?"

Her eyelids drooped heavily on her eyes. "You must…join forces with him…and defeat the demon…called Na…ra…," her voiced faded completely as her eyelids shut. She didn't open them again.

I shook her lightly. "Mother…Mother, please wake up! Who must I defeat? Please wake up, Mother!" She wouldn't wake. Her shoulders fell limp, along with the rest of her limbs. Her chest ceased rising and falling, indicating life was still there. She never finished her sentence, but I felt I could finish it for her: Naraku.

I finally released the tears that had welled up in my eyes; they fell like rivers down my face. The once sunny day never returned to its former glory after Kagura had summoned the twisters. I heard thunder in the distance. Rain was to come. I did not go back inside the cave. Instead, I laid my head lightly on top of her chest, and cried.

* * *

This chapter is about twice as long as the previous two! I'm so proud of myself. ^.^ As I'm writing, I noticed that my chapters tend to be around this length now, so you can expect chapters similar to this in the near future.

As always, I would absolutely LOVE your opinions on my story. Trust me, they help with my writing. Sometimes there might be something you think should be changed for the future that I never even considered to be an issue before. Who knows? No one will unless you voice your opinion! Even if it is just a "hey, I really like this!" kind of review, at least then I know there are people reading my story and not just clicking on the link and clicking out...know what I mean?

Till next week,

~Akane-chan


	4. Chapter 4

I'm trying to keep a schedule of updating on Sundays. So that's why this chapter came so soon after the last.

My very last season of marching band begins in less than a week. I'm so excited! But it also means that school is starting soon, so my time to write will become very short, if not non-existent. I'll try my best.

Without further ado, here is Chapter 4. And as promised, here he is!

~Akane-chan

* * *

Chapter 4: It Begins

My screams were the first things I heard in the morning.

I bolted upright in bed, my heart pounding loudly in my ears. My breathing was hard and ragged. I could feel droplets of sweat dripping down my back and forehead. Hyper-alert, my head darted around my small house, checking for any dangers. There were none. Sunlight peeked through the small windows on either side of my small hut, enough to illuminate every corner. I didn't need my powers to hear that all was well outside as a couple of villagers passed by, talking excitedly about the upcoming harvest.

I sighed. I have since lost count of how many times I've had that dream in the past few months. Each time, the dream lasted longer and longer. _This time, I finished my battle with Kagura,_ I thought. I quickly realized these dreams were not ordinary. I sometimes realize that I am dreaming, but I am not able to change the outcome, as my dream self continues to do and say exactly what was said when it actually occurred. I also felt pain. Every bit of it, emotional and physical. Ten years have passed since I lost my mother. I thought I had accepted the pain and found peace. Then the nightmares started, forcing me to relive everything and cause those emotional scars to come wide open again, as if they had never healed. I was afraid to sleep now. Someone wanted me to relive those memories, but who? Why?

I closed my eyes against the world and collapsed back down onto my pillow. I didn't understand these dreams or why I was having them. Was Sereni in my head, and was she the one making me remember all of this? Why now, when I have just moved on?

Screams reached my ears. My heart rate rose once again, still hyper-sensitive from my dream.

"Demon! There's a demon attacking the village!"

"Someone help!"

"Lady Kira! Someone get Lady Kira!"

I quickly rose from my bed, albeit reluctantly. Dressing quickly in my usual blue and silver-starred kimono, I gathered up my sword and headed outside. The wonderful blacksmith of this village forged this sword long ago, accidentally adding in infusions of demon blood and medicinal herbs. The combination proved to be potent, but too powerful for any normal human to control. When I came across it (after it had poisoned several villagers), my powers seem to resonate with it. The unrestrained aura surrounding it immediately subsided when I touched it. The villagers believe that I am a priestess with immense spiritual powers, including the power of purification. This seemed a much more believable and safe story than explaining that I was a demi-goddess, so I never corrected them. They were safer that way, and they also provided me good housing and food in exchange for protecting their village.

"Lady Kira-!" A young boy had just run to my door as I came outside, almost crashing into me. "Ah, sorry. But you must hurry! There's a demon attacking the village!"

"Thank you," I said. "Go find somewhere safe to hide." He nodded, and rushed off. I headed the other way, toward the screams.

It was not difficult to find the demon causing the chaos. A huge demon with a hard shell on its back like a turtle marched through the village, destorying houses one by one, as if he were looking for something. The demon's head was human-like, though he bore silver hair and purple scars across his cheeks. His body also resembled that of a human's except for his right arm, which was considerably thicker that the other, being covered by a spiky shell that seemed to continue from the one on his back. I unsheathed my sword from its scabbard and charged for an attack. Just before I reached him, I stopped suddenly.

"Help! Lord Sesshoumaru!" A little girl with raven-black hair screamed from within the demon's grasp. She pounded away fearlessly at its hand. "Let me go!"

_Oh no... _I couldn't dispose of this demon as I normally would. He had a human hostage, and I might accidentally hurt her if I used my goddess energy.

This was proving to be more difficult that I first thought.

"You can't hide her from me. Bring me what I ask, or you shall all perish, starting with this little girl," the demon demanded. As if to put truth to his words, the demon squeezed the hand holding the girl. She cried out in pain.

I gripped my sword tightly and jumped high into the air. Aiming for the hand that held the girl, I swung down on the demon's shoulder. My sword met with flesh, though it did not cut. The demon's aura resisted my attack in a shower of sparks and flung me backwards. I landed safely on my feet only a few feet from where I had stood, contemplating what had happened.

The demon, intrigued, turned toward me. "Oh, and who dares to attack me?" He gazed at me, a look of amusement in his eyes. "A young girl? Maybe a priestess?"

"Who are you, demon? What do you want from us?" I called up to it.

The demon smirked. "How bold. I am Mouryoumaru. I have come for the goddess that I've heard resides in this village. Bring her to me, and I shall spare your pathetic lives."

I started. How does this demon know about me? Is he working with Naraku, like Kagura? He did not seem to know who I was, meaning I was safe for now.

"No goddess resides in this village," one of the village men was brave enough to speak up. "If there was such a person here, would we be so impoverished?"

His statement tore at my heart. This village lived in poverty because it stood on slightly infertile ground, making it difficult for them to grow enough food to feed all of them. I did not have the power to fix their situation; however, every day, I wished that I had that power. It pained me to see such kind people, people who took me in and helped raised me as one of their own, suffer every day. Their spirits were strong, and they never complained about their lives. They just tried the best the could, which made them happy.

"Please, stay back," I implored. "I will take care of this demon."

Mouryoumaru seemed amused. "It seems that she has hidden her true identity from you, then. No matter, I will find her."

"Lord Sesshoumaru! Where are you?" The little girl kicked at Mouryoumaru's hand. "You had better let me go before Lord Sesshoumaru gets here, or you'll be sorry!"

"Quiet, girl," Mouryoumaru hissed, squeezing the girl tightly. She cried out once again. "Sesshoumaru will not come for you. In fact, he's probably dead by now."

"No! He's alive! He would never be defeated by someone like you! LORD SESSHOUMARU!"

"I said _quiet!_" Mouryoumaru bellowed, squeezing her so tightly that the girl fell limp in his grasp, unconscious.

I felt a hot sensation at my wrist, and glanced down. My bracelet shone brightly in its usual rainbow of colors. Since learning of my powers and identity, I realized that my bracelet has a mind of its own, almost like a spirit inhabited it. Like a new mother, I have learned to differentiate its reactions and understand its intent when it shines. At the moment, its light was hot, almost painfully so. My bracelet was angry at Mouryoumaru.

It wasn't the only one. I felt my goddess energy purr beneath my skin, not unlike a shiver when you are cold. It was yearning to be released. This was another power I discovered I had. I could focus my mind and tap into my spiritual energies. When I first learned this, I had accidentally summoned my power to heal a deep gash I received from a demon that had been chasing me. Not long after, I learned to manifest my power into a physical form as orbs of energy. When I acquired my sword, my curiosity led me to apply a similar principal into the blade. Now, the sword was a natural extension of my arm that I could easily manipulate to focus and aim my goddess energy in a battle.

This one, for example. I allowed my power to seep into my blade. It began to glow a faint blue light. I checked to make sure the villagers were far enough away. Satisfied, I charged toward the towering demon.

"Are you going to try that little trick again? It won't work," Mouryoumaru laughed. With his free hand, he swiped across the ground, trying to knock my feet from underneath me.

"You underestimate me," I said, then smiled knowingly. Just as he was about to make contact, I pushed off from the ground, flying fast into the air. Mouryoumaru looked confused. I imagine that he thinks I completed disappeared. I grinned to myself.

Floating for a moment high above the silver-haired demon, I angled myself toward his occupied arm. Using the momentum of my fall, I brought my sword down on his shoulder. This time, my sword easily cut through his arm. I heard Mouryoumaru scream in pain, but I ignored him for the moment. The little girl fell out of the now dismembered arm. I caught her just in time.

Turning to the nearest person to me, I handed her over. "Please take her somewhere safe."

"Yes, Lady Kira," the man responded, and hurried off toward the nearest hut that was still intact. Confident in the girl's safety, I resumed my attention on a very angry Mouryoumaru.

"You... You are no ordinary priestess, are you?" He said. His voice grew deeper and barely audible. He paused for a moment, considering me. Then he smiled wickedly. "I've found you, Goddess."

"So you've found me," I said. "What do you want from me?"

"Naraku wants to make use of your powers," he responded. _Naraku?! _"You will pay dearly for injuring me!"

My goddess energy purred. "It would be my pleasure to finish the job!"

Mouryoumaru advanced toward me, almost trampling several villagers in his path. Before he came within five meters, I heard a familiar buzzing nearby. So did Mouryoumaru, as he stopped his attack.

Red and yellow-striped insects appeared behind Mouryoumaru. How did I not sense them until they were right there? They hovered for a moment, and Mouryoumaru looked toward them, communicating in the same strange way as Kagura had. A few seconds later, Mouryoumaru grimaced.

"I will spare your life this time, Goddess. Next time, you will die," he spit out the last few words before disappearing into a cloud of purple miasma along with the insects.

I heard cheering behind me, which startled me.

"The demon is gone!"

"Cheers for Lady Kira!"

"Lady Kira!"

I had completely forgotten about the villagers until now. Sheathing my sword, I turned toward them and bowed. "Thank you, everyone. I'm sorry about all of the destruction..."

"Oh no, my lady! If you hadn't driven off that demon, we might all be dead," one woman chimed.

"Yes! It is no problem to rebuild the village," said another.

The others nodded in agreement, murmuring to each other. I smiled. "Thank you," I said again. "Excuse me for a moment." I worked my way through the crowd toward the hut I saw the little girl be taken into.

"Please, I need to go to Lord Sesshoumaru! He's hurt!" The girl's voice met my ears before I reached the entrance. Just as I reached for the curtain, a small form rammed into my legs, almost knocking me down. "Agh!"

The girl fell down on her butt. "Are you alright?" I asked.

Rubbing her behind, she glanced up at me. "Oh, I'm sorry. I'm ok. Oh! You're the one who saved me!" The girl stood, then bowed. "Thank you for saving me. The nice man inside told me what happened. But I need to be going." She started toward the forest just within eyesight.

"Hold on," I said, and she stopped. "I'll go with you. You said your friend was hurt, right? Maybe I can help."

She seemed hesitant. "I'm not sure...," she said, fiddling with her hands. "I'll be fine."

I didn't need my mind-reading powers to see that she was hiding something. "It's alright. If he's hurt, he'll need special care to get better," I reassured her. "Now, let's hurry."

The girl seemed to be concerned with something, but she didn't say another word. She merely nodded, and ran off toward the forest.

As we approached, my goddess energy purred in anticipation. I could sense an enormous demonic aura nearby. As we ran, I gripped the hilt of my sword tightly. The aura became clearer as we continued inside. While strong, I could feel it weakening, and the smell of blood was mixed in the air. I wasn't sure if it belonged to her friend to to the demon I sensed nearby. The uncertainty gnawed at my mind. I prayed I wasn't following this girl to her death.

"There he is! Lord Sesshoumaru!" The little girl dashed as fast as she could toward a body leaning up against a tree, and kneeled beside it. I was certain now. The demonic aura as well as the scent of blood was eminating from this figure. The creature was covered in blood almost completely from head to toe. Despite its weakened state, I could sense the immense power this demon possessed. Why was a human girl travelling with such a powerful demon?

I cautiously approached. The demon was male. Beneath the layer of blood I could see glimmers of his long silver hair. His haori I assumed was supposed to be white, as I saw small white spots poking through the blood. Standing right next to him, I could faintly hear his heartbeat. It was weak, but stable.

"He's still breathing," I said. I looked at the girl sitting opposite me. She gazed down at the demon with concern, and I could see she was fighting back tears. "Would you mind going back to the village and fetching me a few things? We need to treat his wounds quickly." She looked up at me and nodded. I told her what I needed, and she dashed off without another word. Satisfied, I turned my attention toward my patient.

The demon was a magnificent creature. He had human-like features, from his angular face to his muscular arms and torso. I couldn't quite gauge his legs, as they were completely covered by his pants, which matched his haori in color and blood. Aside from his aura, only a few of his features betrayed his demon heritage: the sharp claws on his hands and the pair of purple scars on each cheek. His face looked strangely peaceful despite his wounds. I looked down his body and cringed. He suffered a deep gash in his torso. I didn't want to look to see if it punctured all the way through his body. I turned back toward his face. His silver bangs fell lightly over his forehead. His features, though sharp, seemed soft all at once. Despite his disheveled look, he was beautiful.

I felt my bracelet glow. It glowed brightly, almost happily. This reaction confused me. What was it happy about?

Before I could follow that train of thought, the little girl returned, carrying a bucket and a wash cloth. "Thank you," I said, retrieving the items from her. She nodded, and resumed her seat on the demon's other side.

"He's gonna be ok, right?" the girl asked.

I smiled. "Yes, he'll be fine. We just need to clean him up and dress his wounds." I could feel his demonic aura returning. He will wake any moment.

I stood, bucket in hand.

"Where are you going?" the girl asked, panic evident in her voice.

"Do not worry. I am just going to fetch some water from the river so we can wash him," I said, giving her my most reassuring smile.

"Oh, ok," she returned my smile with her own bright one.

The river ran very close to the village. Despite its proximity, the fields here still did not produce crops of high quality. The villagers were convinced that the place was cursed. Some told a story of how their ancestors defeated a great vengeful demon, who was now buried nearby. I did not have the heart to tell them that the sources of their small harvests were a few amongst them who could not afford food to eat.

I quickly filled the bucket with the river's cool water and returned to the little girl and her demon companion. She brightened at my return, and watched eagerly as I prepared the bucket and cloth for washing.

"Is there anything I can do?" she asked.

"No, that's alright. I can manage," I said. Her face fell slightly. A thought occurred to me. I had yet to ask her name. "I am sorry, I've been rude. What is your name, little girl?"

"Oh! My name's Rin," she said cheerfully. "And this is Lord Sesshoumaru. What about you? What's your name, Miss?"

My heart skipped several beats. Rin? I stopped what I was doing to gaze intently at her. Raven black hair, very much like my mother's. Dark brown eyes, large and expressive, like my father's. Non-inclusive of the color difference, she looked like a younger version of me, with her hair tied up in a small tie in the back of her had. But was it her?

"My name is Kira," I said. It couldn't be the same Rin, I convinced myself. Curiosity was a powerful force, however. "If you don't mind me asking, how old are you?"

"That's ok. I'm ten years old. How about you?"

My chest tightened. She was the same age. Still, I couldn't believe it was more than just a coincidence. My parents told me her village had been attacked not five years ago, with casualties. Only a handful of the adults and older children had survived.

"Miss Kira? Are you alright?" Rin's voice brought me from my reverie. I stared at her once last time before shaking my head.

"Yes, sorry. I was just thinking how you looked just like someone I knew," I said and smiled. Rin seemed satisfied because she smiled back at me. I sighed inwardly. Part of me hoped; another part of me knew that it was pointless. There was no one left. Pushing those thoughts from my mind, I directed my attention to the more pressing matter of the demon in front of us.

I began quickly undressing his body. I carefully peeled off his blood-stained haori, causing Rin to wince at the sound.

"It's alright," I told her, "The blood has just dried onto his skin. He will be okay."

"I know," she said with a confident smile. "I'm not scared." I believed her.

After removing his upper garments, I set his clothing aside. I would wash them later. I looked at the demon's exposed skin. Two long slashes and one large, round hole marred his torso. New blood glimmered in the sunlight, covering the wounds. I touched them softly. While the blood was new, the bleeding had ceased. I was grateful. I did not do too well around gushing wounds. His demonic powers already accelerated his healing, which saved me yet another step in the process. All that was left for me was to clean and patch him up. I reached for the wash cloth that Rin had brought me and soaked it in the bucket of water. As carefully as I could without waking the beast, I rubbed away the caked blood from his skin. Even with the cloth separating my hand from his body, I could feel every feature of his form. Firm and strong, his figure was perfect, save for the wounds I was currently addressing. I hoped they would not scar.

"Miss Kira, are you alright? You don't look well," Rin's voice called to me from a daydream I did not know I had entered. Confused, I looked over at Rin then down at my patient. The cloth had slipped from my hand and currently lay on the floor. I felt my cheeks heat. Startled, I shook my head of the thoughts I did not want to acknowledge. It was proving difficult to remember that the beautiful sleeping creature before me was a demon.

I quickly picked up the damp cloth. "Yes, I'm sorry. I was dozing off a little bit, that's all."

I pushed all thoughts of the demon from my mind and focused on washing away the blood. If I did not look at his face, my mind would not wander. With new resolve, I accomplished my task quickly, every once in a while cheaking his wounds for re-openings and infections. I dared not attempt to remove his pants. There were only a few streaks of blood decorated over the white fabric. I'm sure he would take care of that himself. I directed my attention instead to his hair. It had lay matted to his clothes, so it had turned a dark shade of crimson as well. I carefully held his hair. I felt like silk, flowing languidly between my fingers. My breath caught for a moment. I did not expect such softness from a demon. It was a jewel in and of itself, so I took extra care in cleaning what I could of his hair.

"Rin, why don't you go and fetch me some bandages?" I asked, bringing Rin from her musings on the ground. She blinked for a moment to process what I had told her.

"Okay," she assented enthusiastically. Bringing herself to her feet, she bounded back toward the village with my request.

I felt eyes boring into my foreheard and looked back. Bright golden orbs stared intensely at me. All I could do was stare as they seemed to look straight through my soul.

"Oh, you're awake," I said, strangely calm. The demon did not blink, but continued staring. I couldn't help but fidget slightly, looking for something to preoccupy my hands with to avoid staring at him. _How did I not sense him wake up?_ His demonic aura was overwhelming.

I became aware of a fuzziness in my head. It took me a moment to realize what it was. I had not come across another mind reader since my mother died. I pushed the intruder out of my mind, only to feel it angrily push back. Surprised, I looked around and found the demon staring just as angrily back at me. I smirked.

"_So, you can read my thoughts, can you?" _I spoke in his mind. Before he could answer me, a familiar schreeching voice reached our ears.

"LORD SESSHOUMARU!" Rin came bounding toward the demon, dropping the package of bandages before throwing herself into the demon's arms. For a moment, I saw the demon's eyes soften at the sight of the ecstatic young girl. They returned to normal before I could confirm it as something other than my imagination.

"Rin, do not forget about his wounds. You do not want to reopen them," I reminded her.

"Oh," Rin slowly lifted herself up. "I'm sorry, my Lord." She smiled and removed herself from on top of the demon.

The interaction confused me. Rin's affection but strict formality, coupled with the dog demon's reaction to her arrival, provided for a very strange but seemingly amicable relationship. I could not make sense of it. I looked on, an observer, but ready to protect Rin if need be. I did not trust this Lord Sesshoumaru. _I must be vigilant, lest this demon show his true colors and kill Rin._

_ "You would have left me to die, then? In front of her?"_

I gasped and stared incredulouosly at the dog-demon, who stared right back with cold, piercing eyes. I did not feel him intrude into my mind. How did he bypass my defenses without detection? I immediately brought my powers to the forefront of my mind as an inpenetrable wall of defense.

"_I do not know how you can read my thoughts with my sensing it, but you would do well to stay out," _I spoke to the demon scathingly through our telepathic connection. I was quite glad that Rin could not witness this exchange. She would become upset. "_As for your question, no, I would not have left you to die. A person in need is worthy of help-or in your case, a humanoid demon. My nature tells me there is good in all life."_

The demon's eyes remained cold, expressionless, though almost condescending. I felt him probe my defenses, and allowed him in far enough so as to hear his reply. "_You are foolish to think that any demon is not evil. Their sole interest is to kill without remorse and gain power, nothing more."_

I paused for a moment. His response left me confused. _"Really? Then what of Rin, your human companion? What is she to you? It is quite puzzling that a small human child is travelling with a demon as powerful as you. Happily, I might add."_

His eyes narrowed ever-so-slightly before they turned toward the girl sitting patiently by his side. Rin smiled a toothy grin at him, and his gazed softened. There was something depper to this relationship, something more complex that what was on the surface. For the life of me, I could not figure it out. Resigning to ask more questions later, I began unravelling the badages. A powerful, clawed hand stopped me.

It seemed that this demon and I were staring quite a bit at each other lately. Unfortunately for him, I would not give in. "I am going to dress your wounds. They will become infected with the miasma if you leave them be."

It was true. The wounds, although rapidly clotting and healing, were turning a sickly purple color. I was confident that the poisonous gas came from Mouryoumaru, as he disappeared in a cloud of purple miasma. The bandages Rin brought me I made myself, infusing them with my healing powers. They were more for minor venomous bites for humans, but they would function just as well for this demon.

The demon did not say a word, but continued to stare straight into my eyes. Satisfied with something, he finally released my hand and allowed me to work. I worked quickly so as not to irritate him further. The wounds sizzled at the touch of the healing cloth, assuring me that they were slowly being purified. I knew the process hurt immensely, but the demon showed no sign of pain.

Finished, I sat back and addressed the demon aloud. "My bandages will purify the miasma within the wounds. It will take at least a day for them to be fully healed, so I suggest you remain here for the night."

The dog demon showed no signs that he heard me. He continued to watch Rin, who had gone to play in the river. I sighed. He was cooperating for now, and that was all I could ask for. I heard my stomach grumble and felt my cheeks heat slightly. I stood and bowed before taking my leave. I joined Rin by the river. Fish sounded good for lunch.

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Hope you enjoyed this chapter. Please review!


	5. Chapter 5

Hi everyone! I'm so sorry about the long wait. School started, and I've been trying not to procrastinate. So far it has worked, but in exchange, I haven't been able to write or post anything. I hope you'll stick with me and this story. =)

~Akane-chan

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Chapter 5: Secrets and Reflections

Rin talked endlessly over lunch (five fish that we managed to capture from the river) about her travels with Lord Sesshoumaru, who was in fact a dog demon. Despite the dangers she faced and the countless demons that challenged the great demon, Rin remained by his side. Sesshoumaru remained silent through the entire exchange, although he listened closely from his spot against the tree. When Rin offered him some fish, he refused. It did not bother her, however; she merely replied she would save it for "Master Jaken."

"Rin, who is Master Jaken?" I asked.

"He's a little toad demon that travels with us!" she informed me enthusiastically. "Actually...I wonder where he is. Lord Sesshoumaru, do you know where Master Jaken went?"

As if on cue, a loud, high-pitched screech reached our ears. "LORD SESSHOUMARU! There you are."

A tiny green imp with wrinkled, scaled skin ambled in our direction. He wore a brown robe and a black, pointed hat. In his hand, he carried a large brown staff that was almost twice as big as the demon himself. At the head of the staff sat two heads, one of an old man and the other a young woman, facing opposite directions.

"Master Jaken!" Rin squealed. "Where were you?" Rin bounded over to the toad demon and hugged him tightly. Jaken tried in vain to pry the little girl off of him.

"Get off me, you annoying girl! I must talk with Lord Sess—" Jaken's gaze landed on me, and it quickly turned from annoyance to disgust. "What are you doing here, you filthy human! Shoo! Be gone! You have no business here."

"Be nice, Master Jaken! She helped save Lord Sesshoumaru after he got attack—" Rin defended me.

"Attacked?! My Lord, what happened?" Jaken's tone changed rapidly once again.

"He was attacked by Mouryoumaru, one of Naraku's minions, I believe," I said as I walked over to the demon imp.

"I didn't ask _you,_ insolent human! Now be gone, or feel the wrath of the Staff of Two Heads!" Jaken screeched, waving his oversized staff in front of him.

I chuckled and walked closer until I was towering over him, staring straight down. Jaken did not flinch and glared at me. "Those are some big words coming from such a small demon imp." I put my hand to my chin, feigning pondering. "I thought all imps were a bit…dimmer?"

Jaken's face scrunched tightly in anger. As he yelled, his body bounced up and down from the sheer force. "How dare you, you—"

"Jaken."

A low, powerful voice spoke from behind us. Jaken ceased immediately, and his face registered fear. I glanced behind me and found Sesshoumaru resting serenely with his eyes closed. To the onlooker, he might've been sleeping. That voice was unmistakable, though.

"Y-yes, My Lord?" Jaken's voice, small and high-pitched, shook.

"Be quiet. You are being too loud."

Jaken said nothing but nodded quickly and retreated away from us. I sympathized. Sesshoumaru was frightening. I would do well to keep my distance. Rin seemed to be the only one who was not subjected to his biting rage.

Despite my self-warning, I walked back toward the dog demon to check on his wounds. Sesshoumaru did not move, but opened his eyes to watch me. I opened my mind to him to show him my intentions. When he made no move to stop me, I continued.

"You keep strange company, Lord Sesshoumaru," I said as I checked his bandages. At first, he remained silent.

"Jaken was the only one able to control the power of that staff," he said. I was surprised. It was the most he had spoken since he woke. I turned to watch Rin play "keep away" with Jaken's staff. The toad demon had some use, did he?

I checked the gash in his torso. It was still a light purple color, but it was receding. My purifying cloth was working. "And Rin?"

Sesshoumaru did not respond. I entertained the idea of probing his mind for answers, but decided against it. He was tolerant now, which might change if I invaded his personal space. I resigned myself after several minutes to the fact that he would not answer me. Maybe he did not know the answer himself, or he did not want to acknowledge the reason. I'm sure that a powerful demon travelling as a human child was sacrilegious enough.

"Your injuries are healing nicely. The miasma should be completely gone from your body by tomorrow morning," I said. "I request that you remain here for the night, however. Too much movement will impede your progress and possibly make the poison spread."

Sesshoumaru did not acknowledge me, but I took his silence as acquiescence. Satisfied, I sighed and decided to busy myself with washing Sesshoumaru's clothing. I watched Rin talking with Jaken, who had passed out on the ground. It was then I noticed the sun was setting.

"When did it get so late?" I wondered aloud. Everyone must be worried about me.

"Oh, it's not that late. Just in time for the sunset!" Rin exclaimed. She walked over to me and pulled at my hand. "Miss Kira, would you watch the sunset with me?"

I smiled at her. "Of course."

Rin coaxed me up and lead me over to the river and sat down along its edge, dipping her feet in the water. I followed suit. The water felt cool and refreshing against my worn and tired feet. We sat there in silence, admiring the color-changing sky as the sun made its way down. Soon enough, the sun dipped below the trees and the sky turned a magnificent violet, but we did not stir. The stars were just as beautiful, and the crescent moon kept us out of complete darkness.

I felt a weight on my shoulder and looked down. Rin had fallen into a peaceful slumber. I gazed at her, slightly envious of her pleasant dreams. In her innocence, she slept soundly at night in the presence of friends; I, on the other hand, relived my nightmares of my past alone. Even Jaken seemed to care for her, even if just by tolerance. Sesshoumaru was powerful enough to protect her from any dangers. I sighed heavily. At least she was happy.

Careful not to wake the sleeping bundle, I turned my head to find Sesshoumaru standing by the same tree, gazing at the starry sky. I gasped softly. In the moonlight, he was more beautiful than I remembered. His silver hair shone radiantly, giving the illusion of shimmering water. His figure glowed, basking in the moon's soft glow, giving him an otherworldly appearance. I noticed something strange. The left sleeve of his kimono lay limp by his side. So many mysteries surrounded the powerful dog demon. I slowly crept into his mind.

"_She is asleep,"_ I thought. "_I will make my way back to the village and put her to bed. You and Jaken are welcome to stay with us."_

Sesshoumaru looked at me. His eyes did not sparkle like his silvery hair in the light. They were cold, mistrusting. He did not say a word, whether aloud or telepathically. I could not figure out his thoughts, and I dared not search for them. Strangely, however, I did not feel threatened. Whether it was because of the moon's rays empowering me, I wasn't sure. I stood defiantly, careful not to wake Rin, and walked back in the direction of the village without another glance towards her companion.

Everyone was retiring for the night. The small houses lined in neat rows were quickly being filled by their owners. Their lantern lights flickered like fireflies in the distance. Some waved at me as I passed and bid me good night. I smiled and wished them the same, unable to use my hands. A few people stared at Rin, confused, but did not question me about her. Considering their muted responses, Sesshoumaru must not have followed. I sighed, grateful that I would not have to explain a demon walking free in the village.

I reached my hut at the farthest end of the village. Its outward appearance gave the impression that it was abandoned. That was how I preferred it. The fewer people that know I reside here, the better. My life was troublesome as it was.

I pushed aside the curtain with my shoulder and entered my home. It was small, meant for a single person to live in. I had no lanterns or candles to light the room; instead, four small windows (which I had carved out of each wall) high up on the wall were my only source of light. I learned early on that firelight at night left me quite anxious. The only time I used a lantern was during the night of the new moon. Firelight was better than no light during those times.

Carefully, I laid Rin down on my sleeping mat. She never stirred, sleeping soundly and peacefully the entire trek here. I found myself growing envious of her for the second time today. Tonight I would have nightmares once again. I dreaded falling asleep. From the first nightmare, I understood a little of what my mother had told me: being a goddess was a gift, but also a curse.

I sang Rin a lullaby that my mother had sung to me when I was young, like Rin. It spoke of finding strength in someone else's love, and thanking them for it. Back then, it held just a simple meaning for me; now, it brought to light all of the emotions and meanings Mother had when she protected me. Looking down at Rin, I thought I understood a little of what she probably felt. I finished and whispered good night in her ear.

I stood and turned around to change into my night clothes. I almost screamed when I saw Sesshoumaru standing behind me. How was he able to sneak up on me like that? Why hadn't I sensed his presence? His demonic aura was too powerful to conceal, especially at such a close distance. Was I that preoccupied with my thoughts of Rin and my mother?

The frigidness of Sesshoumaru's stare unnerved me. I could tell his body was tense, ready for an attack. He did not trust me, even though I saved his life. I moved to the side to allow him a view of Rin. He moved his gaze to her. His eyes warmed for a fraction of a second before the returned to me as they were before. I grew frustrated. I had no time to deal with stubborn demons. My body ached from the events of today and begged me to sleep.

I wandered over to my changing room without a second glance at the dog demon intruding into my home. When I emerged in my night clothes, however, the demon was nowhere to be found. I was perfectly okay with that.

I snuggled in next to Rin. I watched her for a few moments, and hoped that maybe her influence would chase away my nightmares. My mind wandered to the first casual conversation we had. She bore the same name and was the same age as my younger sister would have been. Was she really the same person? I could see her resemblance to my father, evident in her face and hair, but I saw nothing of Mother. No, her kind and innocent heart belonged to our mother. Other than her appearance, I couldn't be sure. I knew nothing of what happened to my sister after our parents left her in a small village to hide her from Naraku.

My mind was restless for answers. Abandoning any intention of going to sleep, I pulled on my coat and went searching for the only person I knew who might have my answers.

All lights were out in the village by now. Everyone had gone inside. The only sounds to reach my ears were my own footsteps and the soft wind rustling the leaves of trees nearby. I directed my mind outward, searching for the familiar demonic aura. I followed it to the spot I had first met Sesshoumaru.

Sesshoumaru was gazing down at the ground, as if there was something of interest. He did not move to acknowledge me, though I am sure he sensed me. I watched him quietly. He was back here, why? Was he looking for his own answers? Answers to what? I shook my head. I had too many of my own questions to worry about without trying to predict his.

"Enchanting, is it not?" I voiced aloud.

Sesshoumaru did not move, but glared at me from the corner of his eye. I returned his glare. His countenance was vexing.

"Why are you here?" he asked.

Getting right to the point, was he? I entertained the idea of telling him I was just being nosy. That would certainly put him off, and I would enjoy it. He was self-righteous and rude. He also would not be so willing to give me the answers I needed. I sighed.

"I could not sleep. I was wondering if you could answer a few questions for me," I said as politely as I could.

"I have nothing to say to you," he replied bluntly.

Anger built up inside me. My goddess energy immediately purred beneath the surface, eager for a battle. I pushed it back reluctantly. I needed to keep this as civil as I could. He would be gone by the morning, along with Rin. This was my only chance.

I ignored his blatantly refusal and continued. "I want to know about Rin's past-about how you came upon her. Surely you do not make a habit of picking up stray human children any time they cross your path."

"That is of no concern to you. What I do is my business," he said, his voice as icy as his eyes, and returned to gazing in front of him.

"I beg you, Lord Sesshoumaru," I said, bowing slightly. I needed his trust, even if just a sliver of it.

"Why do you ask me?" he asked. I could sense curiosity in his voice, and looked up. The sharp ice in his eyes softened slightly.

"If Rin is who I think she is, I do not want to bring up painful memories for her."

Sesshoumaru gazed at me for a long while. I did not move from my slightly bowed state, and stared right back into his eyes. A number of emotions ran across them, shielded by his icy mask. There was something significant there, something that concerned Rin. I felt a sensation of fingers combing through my mind and immediately pushed back. I glared with as much anger as I could at the dog demon.

"Answer my question, and I will tell you my intentions," I hissed.

"I have no business with you."

My goddess energy returned full force just behind my self-control. My fists clenched into tight balls in an attempt to keep it in. Anger and frustration were all I registered at the moment. This demon was truly testing my patience. If I did not need his information, I would have left my power run free and destroy him.

"Answer me this, Sesshoumaru," I demanded, dropping the honorific, "was Rin left in a village as an orphan?"

Sesshoumaru's eyes immediately shot toward me, sending the most deadly glare I had ever come across. My pulse quickened in anticipation.

"If you dare harm her, I promise you will not live to see the next day," he said, his voice barely above a dead whisper and dripping with malice. I could not control my anger anymore.

"How dare you accuse me of ever harming my own flesh and blood!"

In flash Sesshoumaru was in front of me, his only hand wrapped around my throat. I tried to pry his hand off as I was dangling from the ground, but his grip only got tighter. My breath was leaving me. I panicked. Suddenly, he released his hand and I fell to the ground, landing on my knees. I laid there for a few seconds trying to steady my breathing. I looked up. Sesshoumaru was staring at his smoldering hand. He looked down at me, his cold, golden eyes narrowing to mere slits. I glared back. For several moments our eyes were locked, each of us determined not to be the first to look away. That's when I saw something that made my eyes widen in horror.

_No…that mark on his forehead._

I lie there, frozen, staring. In the middle of Sesshoumaru's forehead was a dark blue scar in the shape of a crescent moon. _Why did I not notice this before?_ My mind was racing frantically as I looked back on the events of the day. Almost every time I spoke with the dog demon, he was looking away. When he was unconscious, his bangs had been covering his forehead, effectively concealing his scar.

The scar began giving off a dim, soothing glow. Despite that, I was shaking furiously. Not in fear of Sesshoumaru himself, but of what I might have just uncovered. Slow, I raised my hand to my mouth and gasped. My bracelet was glowing sympathetically to his scar, bright and soothing. I did not understand. Sesshoumaru was a demon; yet, my bracelet glowed happily. I recalled when I first encountered Sesshoumaru that it glowed in a similar fashion. This time, however, it felt full of life, and urged me to reach out and touch the scar, yearning for a connection.

_No,_ I thought, dumbfounded. _He cannot be the one! _"Who…who are you?!"

"I should be asking you that same question," he said. He seemed just as perplexed as I was, looking back and forth between me and my bracelet. "What are you doing to me? You are no ordinary human."

"I am just as in the dark as you are," I replied, although this was only half true. I understood why my bracelet reacted this way: it finally sensed a kindred power, a power reciprocated only by those blessed by the Moon Goddess herself. Was the Prince nearby? My mind was too frantic to concentrate on this dilemma. "It might just be reacting to some demons nearby," I lied. I needed to get away from Sesshoumaru. I needed time to myself to process everything that just happened and uncover the meaning of my bracelet's reaction.

Sesshoumaru narrowed his eyes, but thankfully did not inquire further. Without another glance, he walked toward the village.

"Where are you going?" I asked, surprised by his sudden dismissal.

He stopped, but did not look back. "It is getting late. Isn't that what you said before?" he said and continued his trek back. I sighed as I stood up and followed him back.

* * *

I woke the next morning with the sun shining brightly in my eyes. I tried to turn away but was stopped by a small lump from under the sheets. I smiled. I maneuvered our bodies on the bed, careful not to wake the sleeping girl. I quickly dressed and made my way outside to the center plaza where I knew breakfast would be served.

"Good morning, Lady Kira," a middle-aged man greeted me as I approached him. He waved for a moment before going back to his task of stirring a vast stone cauldron sitting over a fire.

"Good morning, Misho," I returned his greeting. Something was off, and I looked around. I was one of three people waiting patiently for the morning meal. "Where is everyone today?"

"That demon you took care of yesterday cause quite some damage," he said without looking up at me. "Everyone is probably helping repair the huts or out to get new supplies."

I nodded. I should help, as well, as soon as I took care of my new charges. "Do you think you could prepare three extra meals for me?"

Misho looked up, confused by my request. "Of course, Lady Kira. Anything for you. But, I hope you don't intend to eat it all at once…"

"Of course not!" I laughed.

"Miss Kira!" Rin's high-pitched voice reached my ears, and I winced. She was bounding up the road and waving, her hair flowing behind her. She stopped just short of me and turned her chocolate brown gaze up to me. "Good morning!" she squealed.

I smiled down at her and ruffled her hair. It was strangely soft to the touch.

"Good morning to you, too, Rin. I see you just woke up. Did you sleep well?" She nodded. "That is good. Breakfast will be ready soon. Why not go ahead and play with the other children until then?"

Rin started towards where the other children were gathered. Some were playing tag, while others were splashing by the riverbed. They were experiencing childhood as it should be, full of peaceful innocence while enjoying playtime and laughter with one another. Something I never got to experience.

Rin stopped in her tracks and turned back to me. "Miss Kira, do you know where Lord Sesshoumaru went?"

I frowned. "I am sorry. I have not seen him yet this morning."

"Oh, ok," Rin's face fell, but was quickly replaced by a smile when she ran to go play with the other children. It must be a treat for her, to play with human children. I imagined what her daily life must be like when her only companions were a cold, silent demon and a loud, talkative imp who thought little of her. That must be why she was so full of energy this morning-the excitement was getting to her.

"Um, excuse me...Lady Kira? Wasn't that the girl you saved yesterday?" Misho asked.

I turned to him. "Yes," I paused for a moment, wondering how to explain why she is still here, "she is travelling with some companions when they were attacked. I told them to stay the night before heading off again."

"Ah, ok then. You are very kind, Lady Kira."

I smiled, unsure of how to respond. With no other business to attend to, I took my leave and wandered toward the forest.

It seemed only yesterday that I had come to this village. Their attitude towards me now was the clear opposite of what it was when I first arrived. I peered at myself in the crystal clear water of the river. My naturally blonde hair made me stand out. No one else I knew (except for my mother) had golden hair. My eyes were an icy slate blue, like a cloudy sky threatening to rain. My skin was paler than most. I thought it was due to the lack of outside play when I was a child; however, since I have been out of the castle, my skin as never tanned or burned in the sun. I assumed this was part of my immortality that Mother mentioned during my training.

I knew I was different, but until I stumbled upon this village, I had not realized just how different I was. My powers I could hide, but my appearance made people suspicious of me. The villagers had at first shunned me, calling me a demon temptress come to steal away the children. When I asked for food, they flat out refused and threatened to summon a monk to exterminate me. That had been the first time I cried since my mother's death. Never before had I felt such hatred from my own people.

The people's perception of me changed when a demon attacked and kidnapped two of the village children. Of course, they at first thought I was responsible for the demon and didn't believe me when I told them otherwise. To convince them, I promised to rescue the children. I easily defeated it with my goddess power. The children returned safely, along with the misconception that I was a priestess. The adults took this as a perfectly reasonable explanation for my appearance, and allowed me to stay with them.

The rest is history.

I paused along the edge of the forest. The piercing sound of a bell reached my ears. Breakfast was being served. I headed back to collect my ordered meals.

"Rin!" I called as I passed the group of children. "Come. Breakfast is being served."

Rin ran over and followed me back to Misho.

"You can go wait inside my house. I will bring your food to you," I told her.

"Ok," she replied, and went inside my house.

"Hello, Misho," I greeted. He handed me my bowl. "Are my other meals ready yet?"

"Sorry, My Lady. I need to feed everyone else, first," he replied sheepishly.

"That's alright. Please let me know when they are ready."

"Of course, Lady Kira," he said. I bowed and made my way to my hut.

I was not startled to find Sesshoumaru and Jaken inside with Rin; I had felt their presence as Rin and I walked back. Jaken did not acknowledge my presence. Then again, Rin was pestering him, wondering where he and Lord Sesshoumaru had been all day. Sesshoumaru greeted me with a stare that I could not decipher. Something seemed different about him, and then I realized he carried a new item of clothing with him: a feathered, pink boa that looked as soft as a cloud. Where had he gotten it? It seemed much too extravagant and fragile for a demon to possess.

"Hello, Lord Sesshoumaru," I greeted with a bow. Finally, Jaken realized I had joined them.

"Finally, you're here. How dare you keep My Lord waiting!" He chided. "And you, Rin-"

"Jaken, quiet."

Jaken immediately ceased talking and looked at Sesshoumaru with bemusement, who had not shifted his eyes from mine. "Yes, milord."

"I have arranged meals for you to take on your travels, but not all of them are prepared yet," I said. "Here, Rin. This one is for you." I handed the little girl my bowl of food. She accepted it happily and began devouring it. Jaken gazed at her, disgusted and muttering about "disgusting human food" under his breath. I settled down across from Rin, watching her eat.

"Miss Kira, is something wrong?"

Should I tell her? Doing so might hurt her deeply; however, not informing her of her existing family would be lying and equally as immoral. I was still uncertain. "Oh... No, nothing is wrong."

"Are you sure? You seem pretty out of it," Rin frowned.

_No_, I chided myself, _she deserves to know. _I felt a familiar presence in my mind. I ignored him. I must gain Sesshoumaru's trust as well, if my instincts are correct.

"Yes, you're correct. I was lost in thought," I said, then inhaled deeply. "Rin, can you tell me...about your past? Before you began traveling with Lord Sesshoumaru?"

Rin blinked at me for a moment before turning away and gazing at the floor. "Oh, um," she started. Her reluctance made me panic.

"It's alright. You do not have to share it with me. I am just an adult being nosy, that's all," I smiled as heartily as I could.

"Oh, no, it's okay," she said. "Before I began traveling with Lord Sesshoumaru, I lived in a village where they treated me very badly. At first, I had a family that took care of me, and everyone was nice to me, but they were killed by bandits. The villagers told me that my real parents abandoned me when I was little and gave me to them. All of the kids pushed me around. I ended up living in a little shelter I built by the river, and most of the time I was left with little food."

"Yes, and she was a _quiet_ child while she was in that village," Jaken interjected.

I was speechless. I sat contemplating her story. Sesshoumaru's aura intensified gradually with each word she spoke, causing the hairs on my body to stand on end. I looked at him. His countenance gave nothing away, and no one else seemed to notice the change.

Rin continued, "One day I found Lord Sesshoumaru in a forest. He was badly hurt, so I brought him some food to eat so he would get better. But for some reason he wouldn't take any of it…" Rin put her hand up to her chin and gazed at the dog demon. I smiled, surprised by her bravery. She approached a demon as proud as Sesshoumaru while he was injured and lived to tell the tale. Her kindness tamed even him.

"_No one has tamed me," _an angry voice spoke to me in my head.

"_I wonder why Rin is still alive, then, after she found you injured," _I returned with a hint of sarcasm. Sesshoumaru did not reply, but I felt his eyes burning into my head.

"One day, some of the villagers caught me taking some fish from the river. I knew it was wrong, but...," Rin trailed off for a moment. "They took the fish back and beat me."

I was not sure of what to say. Feelings of anger and hate rose up within me. My goddess energy raged beneath my skin. I wanted to find these people who hurt such a sweet and innocent child. On the other hand, I wanted to comfort Rin. But what was I to say? Apologize?

"Do you remember where this village was?" I asked as calmly as I could.

"We are sitting in it."


End file.
